Electrically-actuated lock for bicycle-racks



Patented Jan. 25,1898.

F. V. WALSTROM 8a J. ERICKSONIA ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED LOCK PCR BICYCLERACKS.

(No Model.)

UNITED .STATES PATENT FRANK V. YVALSTROM AND JOHN ERICKSON, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

ELEcTRicALLY-ACTUATED Lock Foa BICYCLE-RACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,891, dated January25, 1898. Apprenti ma November 9, 189e. sean Nq. 611,434.. (No maar ToallV whomzlt may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK V. W'ALSTROM and JOHN ERICKSON, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-ActuatedLocks for Bicycle-Racks, of which the following is a speciiication.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple, economical, andefficient lock arranged to be unlocked by electrically-actuatedmechanism and sound an alarm; and the invention consists in thefeatures, combinations, and details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I represents a diagrammatic View ofthe mechanism, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the lock with a portion ofthe case broken away.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that abicycle may be taken out of a rack when a duplicate key is used or thelock broken, so that the person checking the wheelis responsibletherefor, unless the original key or check was returned and used forsuch purpose. To avoid this objection and provide a simple, economical,and efficient electrically-actuated lock-one that will give warnin gwhen it has been opened,brokeu or a wheel removed therefrom--is theprincipal object of our invention.

In constructing a lock in accordance with our improvements we make acase A of the desired size and shape to hold and contain the operativeparts. To the front portion of this case we pivot a locking-strap B ofthe desired shape and size adapted to pass around the wheel-rim and tireor any other portion of the wheel for locking the same in place. Thefree end of the locking-strap is provided with a notch h, arranged to beengaged by a pivoted locking-latch C, which is held in normaldisengagement by means of a spring c'. In order to release this latchwhen desired, we provide a set of electroniagnetsA e, having an armatured arranged within the magnetic held, so as to contact the arm c2 of thelocking-latch and hold it in engagement with the locking-strap whencurrent is furnished the magnets. When the iiow of current is stoppedinthe magnets by the breaking of the electric circuit or otherwise,thearmature' lever drops or is swung back by means of the tensionfspringd3, thereby releasing the locking-latch and allowing the locking-strapto be withdrawn.

Tomake and break the electric circuit and denergize the electromagnet,we provide a contact-spring E, arranged to contact a point E', both ofwhich are arranged in the electric circuit with the locking-magnet, oneof such parts being connected with the magnet and the other with thesource of electric energy, hereinafter described. A push-button G isarranged adjacent to the contact-spring, so

that the spring may be pushed in and the cir- This push-button may belocuit broken. cated at any desired point. For instance, if the rack isin an outbuilding or outside the push-button may be in the house wherethe person who checks the wheels has his ohice or station.

It is desirable when the lock is opened or broken that a signal shouldbe given to the party in charge of the checking unless a preliminaryprecaution has been complied with. In order to accomplish this result,we provide the locking-strap with an insulated wire h, bent back onitself, as shown in the drawings, so that its free ends may contact twoiiexible strips g, insulated from each other, one of such strips beingconnected with an electromagnet or relay I on an auxiliary circuit andthe other with the battery. If the lockingi strap is swung open, thefree ends of the wire 7e, which is inserted in such strap, are swungaway from contact-strip g and the circuit broken. This main or whatmight be'termed a normally-closed electric circuit controls the actionof the relay, which in turn, controls an alarm, so that the breaking ofthe n0r mally-closed circuit momentarily deuergizes a magnet I andallows its armature-lever K to drop and contact a metal piece fm, thusclosing the auxiliary circuit, in which is included the bell I-I, sothat current iiows from the battery S, through wire Z, contact-points EE' to armature K, through piece fm and wire 2 to bell II, and back bywire 3 to battery.

If it be desired to alloysT the unlocking of the rack and withdrawing ofthe bicycle Without ringing the bell, a check n may be used and insertedthrough a suitable perforation in the wall, so as to pass between thearn1a-L IOO ture-lever of the auxiliary circuit and the spring-piece mand prevent the leverpfrom making circuit or break the circuit if it hasbeen closed,

The operationof the parts is as follows: When the Wheel is placed in therack and the locking-strap swung around into locking position, the latchC engages with the strap and locks it in position. The main electriccircuit is thereby closed by the free ends of the Wire h contacting thebrushes or contactstrips g.- Current flows from the batteries S andenergizes the magnets e. The lock being now in position, the partyobtains the check N for the lock that he has used, so that it cannot bebroken or opened Without sounding an' alarm to the checkman. Vhen theparty owning the Wheel is desirous of obtaining` his Wheel, he deliversthe check to the checkman, who inserts it'in proper position and pressesthe button G, which action releases the Wheel. As outlined before, ifthe locking-strap be broken or opened before the check is placed inposition the main circuit, which comprises wires 4 and 3, batteries S,Wire l, contact* points E E, wire 5, magnet e, and Wire 6, is broken,When the magnet I is denergized, so that its armature-lever drops tocontact the piece m and close the auxiliary or bell circuit. In this Waycurrent flowing from the batteries through Wire l, contact-points E E',armaturelever K, point M, and Wire 2 rings the bell H and passes back byWire 3 to battery. The insertion of the check, however, will stop theringing of the bell by breaking the bell-circuit.

While we` have described our invention with more or less minuteness asregards details and as being embodied in certain precise forms, We donot desire to be limited thereto unduly any more than is pointed out inthe claims. On the contrary, We contemplate all proper changes in form,construction, and arrangement, and the omission of immaterial parts andsubstitution of equivalen-ts, as circumstances may suggest or renderexpedient. y

IVe Claiml. In a lock of the class described, a combination of a lockingmechanism, an alarm mechanism, a,relay arranged to control the alarmmechanism, and a normally-closed electric circuit arranged to controlthe relay, substantially as described.

2. In a lock of the class described, the combination of a lock arrangedto be operated by electrically-actuated mechanism and break the electriccircuit when the lock is open, an electromagnet on the main circuitarranged to open and close an auxiliary circuit, an auxiliary circuitarranged to be opened by the denergizing of au electromagnet when themain circuit is broken and sound a signal, a signal upon such auxiliarycircuit, and means for keeping the armature of the electromagnet inContact with the magnet and the auxiliary circuit open when desirable tokeep such circuit open, substantially as described.

3. In a lock of the class described, the combination of a locll:provided Witli'a lockingstrap, latch mechanism for holding the strap inits locked position, electromagneto mechanism for holding thelatch andstrap in engagement, an electric circuit embracing a source ofelectricity, the electromagnets and the locking-strap for energizing themagnets, means for opening and closing such circuit to energize ordenergize the magnets and lock or permit the unlocking of the mechanism,an auxiliary electric circuit including a signal and source ofelectricity, an electromagnet interposed between the main circuit andthe auxiliary circuit so arranged that when the main circuit is brokenthe magnet is denergized and the auxiliary circuit closed to sound analarm or signal, substantially as described.

4. In a lock of the class described, the coinbination of a lock providedWithk a lockingstrap, a latch in the lock adapted to hold the strap inits locked position, electromagneto mechanism arranged to hold the latchmechanism in lookin g engagement when the magnets are energized andrelease the same when the magnets are denergized, and a normallyclosedelectric circuit including the lockingstrap, magnets and source ofelectricity so arranged that when the lock is open the main circuitv isbroken, means as a push-button located on such circuit for breaking thecircuit denergizing the magnet and permit the releasing of the latch,and a relay arranged to be controlled by the normally-closed circuit andWhen such circuit is broken or the locking-strap unlocked to sound asignal, and a signal on such auxiliary circuit, substantially asdescribed.

FRANK V. VVALSTROM. JOHN ERICKSON.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, THOMAS B. MCGREGOR.

IOC)

